You'll See the Sun Again
by NinielB
Summary: Elrond has been through so many losses in his life, what will happen when his sons come home from a hunt that turned into a battle, and Elrohir is badly wounded. Can good be brought by, by evil? Can Elrond ever heal from his losses or will he be forever l
1. Chapter 1

Title: You'll see the sun again

Author: Niniel28B

Rating: PG13 (I think)

Genre: Angst

Warning: Character death, nothing handled in a graphic manner

Disclaimer: I took one sentence from New Lines "Early Script" so that belongs to them, the rest belongs to Tolkien and since I'm not so lucky to be Tolkien himself none of these characters are mine. I just play with them, and I promise to give them back once I'm done with them...Evil grin Also I'm not a Tolkien expert and I never claimed to be one, so any incorrections are the author fault only...

Summary: Elrond has been through so many losses in his life, what will happen when his sons come home from a hunt that turned into a battle, and Elrohir is badly wounded. Can good be brought by, by evil? Can Elrond ever heal from his losses or will he be forever lonely?

Spoilers: The Silmarillion, and minor ones for the Lord of the Rings

Author's note: I wish to say a Huge thank to Gilaladh Arasgaran, who helped me translate the elvish in this fic, and to Mor who helped me beta this. Thank you!

**You'll see the sun again**

Chapter 1

_I love you, I always have and I always will..._

Again the Lord of Rivendell woke up in the middle of the night thinking of his love, how pale and fragile she'd looked as she stood on the quay and bid him goodbye.

He'd tried to heal her after her encounter with the orcs, and her body was healed, but her soul he was not able to save. She lingered on in Middle-Earth for a while, trying to be strong for the sake of her children, but as time passed by her spirit faded and not even the love she had for her family could keep her in Middle-Earth.

_Flashback_

There she stood the love of his life, ready to leave for the undying lands, all she had yet to do in this world was to say goodbye. She had dreaded this moment ever since she had left Imladris, bound for the Gray Havens. Elrond and her sons had followed her there, wanting to put off the moment where they had to say goodbye as long as possible.

She had noticed the sorrowful glances her sons had laid upon her, when they thought she was not looking. How it hurt to leave them all behind like this, but she knew that if she did not leave soon she would finally fade irreversible and go to the halls of Mandos. But still it hurt to make everybody she loved suffer like this.

When they had arrived at the havens Galadriel and Celeborn and her daughter Arwen had come from Lothlórien to bid her a last farewell. Arwen had clung to her like she never wanted to let go, and in that moment she had seen a bit of Arwen's fate. "My child," she whispered as she held her daughter in a comforting embrace "never give up hope. For sometimes hope will be all you have to hold on to. Do not despair, my child, for hope is one of the strongest weapons in the world, never give it up." 'Like I have' she added to herself. Then she let go of her daughter and turned to Galadriel.

"_Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu vilya._ _Govaditham ad, meleth nín_. _Gûr nín nallatha na-den chên ad le. Melin le, sell nín._ May the Valar protect you on your path under the sky. We will meet again, my love. Though my heart shall weep until it sees thee again. I love you, my daughter"

"_Melin le, Naneth_ I love you, mother" she said throwing herself into her mothers warm embrace, and Galadriel held her, much like Celebrían had held her own daughter only moments ago. Finally she found the strength to tear herself away from her mother, turning next to Celeborn, her father.

"Ada..." she couldn't say anymore, just buried her head in his tunic like an elfling.

"_Shhh Pen-neth nín, melin le a Naneth le bed thenin._ _Cenitham ad ven vi eriad veren._ _Avo 'osta..._Shhh, my little one, I love you and your mother is right. We will see each other again in happier times.Don't be afraid..." Finaly after stroking her hair and whispering calming words in her ears he gently let go of her and pushed her a little away, reminding her that she had to go. Next in line were her two twin sons, the ones who had found her when she had been captured by the orcs. They looked so brave as they stood in the first light of the day, trying not to let on that in fact they were silently crying. "Do not weep for me, my sons. I will be with you always; remember that. You should be happy and not grieve for those whose time has come; you have such a capability for love. Do not waste it by mourning for me for eternity."

The last face in the row was her husband. She hated to cause him the pain of another family member lost to either the fate of the Edain or the Undying lands. He'd seen enough of that.

"_Meleth nín_ My love" he said "_Anírathon dhaer cheni le, dan ú-natha anann na-den aphadathon le_ I will miss you greatly, but mayhap it shall not be long ere I follow you." The last part was said in a bitter tone.

"_Ú-chenion_ What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly afraid.

"_Avo iston ae bulin vrona pen ban ad_ I don't know if I can bear to lose another one..."

"Shhh..." she stopped him mid-sentence by placing her small and now pale fingers against his lips. "_Broniag, avo charig si, Meleth nín_ _Darthathon an le a aníro cheni in chair tog le athra-aearon, dan an si dhorthon vi Arda. Nag anírannennin sí. Hîn vin voithar le, si ú-sui nu. Tiria chain an nin, avo bul chain thinno a dhrego i ardhon lû chain toliel nu._ You have to endure; there is much you have to do yet, my love. And I will wait for you and long to see the ships carry you over the sea, but for now you must abide in Middle-earth, you are greatly needed here.Our children will need you, now more then ever.Please look after them for me, see to it that they do not despair and leave the world before their times have come."

"_Natha, Meleth nín._ _Dan van charothon ir dhem non, ir in eraid thia ring a ar-ind, a nag ú-ennas echadi lhaug 'ûr chelegnen?_ I will see to it, my love. But what will I do when I despair, when the days seems cold and meaningless to me and you are not there to warm my frozen heart?"

"_Harthathon i estel a i vîl an le togithon ah nin an Aman. Navaer, Meleth nín. Melin le, carnin an-uir, a charithon an-uir. . ._ You will have to trust to hope and the love for you I will bear with me to the Undying lands. Farewell, my love.I love you, I always have and I always will..._"_

With those last words she gave him a last lingering kiss, not really wanting to let go, but eventually breaking the contact and turning to the ship that would separate her and Elrond for what seemed like eternity, even to an elf."

_End of flashback_

Elrond sighed and pulled away his quilt. It was less than a year since Celebrían had left. Arwen had gone back to Lórien with her grandparents, not wanting to go to Imladris just yet. She wanted to be as close as possible to her mother, which she found easiest in Lórien with Galadriel.

Elrond went through the corridors of his house heading for one of the gardens where he and his wife had spent many an early morning. Now he went here to seek the comfort of the trickling of water and the last traces of the stars. The stars had not changed since her departure, in difference to almost everything else.

The twins had become quiet and would often sit in their mother's room, curled together in a tight embrace, seeking to comfort each other with their presence. Elrond was glad his sons could find comfort in each other; he wished he had still had Elros by his side, but he had died long ago. How his death had hurt. He remembered all too well the day he had had to give up his brother to the fate of mortal men, to which Elros had chosen to belong. He had been sitting by his brother all day waiting for the inevitable to happen...

_Flashback_

Elros turned his head to look at his brother.

"How beautiful the stars are, can you see them El? Do you see how bright they shine, twinkling down to us, it's almost like they invite us to come walk among them..."

"Yes my brother, I do see the stars..." Elrond's voice trailed off as sorrow took over. Tears evident in his eyes.

"Would you still have wanted to be my brother, if you'd known this would happen, if you'd known that I would choose to be counted among the Edain, that I would eventually die and course you so much pain?" He had asked that question, his eyes suddenly scared, and it hit Elrond that his twin was afraid of dying, exactly like he, himself were scared by the thought of never seeing his brother again, the anguish of that thought almost unbearable, but still the joy of having known him at all made it all worth it.

_End of flashback_

Elrond almost couldn't bear it anymore, so many losses. First his father had sailed to Valinor to implore the Valar to take mercy upon the children of Eru. Then his mother was lost to this world. And eventually Elros had died, and now he'd lost his wonderful wife, how was he to survive this last blow to his heart, which stirred all the others and made the anguish of long accepted loss surface again?

Glorfindel had awoken early this morning with a strange sense that somethin was amiss, though he couldn't exactly tell why he had felt this way. He hurried clothing and instead of going to the dining hall as would have been his usual choice at this time of the day he went to the gardens not sure why, but his heart told him it was right to do so, and his heart had usually led him right. Like that dreadful day when Gondolin had fallen. It had been a night of celebration and he had been walking in the garden most of the night, feeling anxious, but he had put it down to the excitement of the coming dawn, and so it was that he stood on the walls along with all the other inhabitants of Gondolin, awaiting the sun.

_Flashback_

But it was not the light of the rising sun they saw. Instead of the warm light of the sun in the east, they were greeted by a red light from the north, from the tortured land of Angmar.

The battle had been terrible. At the time this happened Glorfindel had not know how Morgoth's servants had found the city, but later it was discovered that it was Maeglin who had betrayed them.

Some of the elves had been prepared for some evil to happen, though. They had had the same uneasy feeling as Glorfindel, but had done more about it than he had. Of course he had helped them build the escape route, but had never really thought it necessary. Now it saved his life, along with the lives of Tuor, Idril and their child Eärendil.

They had run away from the ruined city, while behind them they could still see the roaring fires licking the formerly grand buildings of knowledge and light.

Glorfindel was one of the only warriors who had escaped with the group, but the few who were there had taken it upon themselves to guard the rest of the group.

They went to the mountain pass for passage, but there, just as they turned a corner of the narrow road a monster of fire and shadow appeared before them. It was one of the most fearsome creatures ever seen on Middle Earth.

He had battled the monster and thus saved the rest of the group, but it had been a bitter victory for himself, as he died along with his foe. But yet he was happy that they did not see him die, that they had run when he told them to. He did not want them to see him so weak. Did not want their pity.

_End of flashback_

He hadn't paid much attention to his sense of danger, then, a fatal error which had led to the death of many a brave and merry soul; he would not make that mistake again!

As he entered the garden of Imladris he felt even deeper that something wasn't right, the birds did not sound as marry as usually and somehow it seemed like the rays from the sun was duller, almost dusty. Like they were coming through a veil of darkness.

Something definitely was wrong.

He felt such a deep heart wrenching sorrow this morning as he had not felt for a long time, and should certainly not have felt in the fair gardens of Imladris. In this, the last homely house.

As he walked further into the garden he saw Elrond sitting on one of the benches, starring at a delicate flower while he turned it in his fingers.

Glorfindel walked nearer, not sure it was a good idea, but the other elf looked so lost, so sad, that he could not just pass him by.

Glorfindel sat down next to the elven lord, but still Elrond did not acknowledge his presence. And Glorfindel began to doubt if he had indeed made the right decision to join his lord and not leave him to his own thoughts, but his heart had not allowed that, so now he had to stay, and try to help.

"You know Glorfindel, I still remember the scent of her hair, the sound of her laughter, the sparkle of her eyes" Elrond's voice cut through the silence in the garden. "I miss her so much"

Glorfindel just sat there for a moment, wondering what to say, he did not wish to hurt the elven lord beside him, but Elrond needed to open up again, accept life back. Since his wife had departed these shores he had withdrew into himself, afraid to let people into his heart again, afraid that he would be hurt again.

"You have to let her go, my friend" Glorfindel offered gently "you have to learn to live again. I know you are hurting, but you have to do it. It will better afterwards"

"I can't" Elrond said, his voice a mere whisper.

"You must try" Glorfindel encouraged.

After this last comment they both sat in silence for a long time, neither of them knowing what to do now.

Suddenly a messenger came running into the garden, but when he saw his liege he stopped dead in his tracks and regained his bearings, as best he could, before he approached the lord.

"Lord Elrond," he said, "Your sons have returned from patrol. Elrohir is badly wounded, my lord. I don't know if he will make it..." The messenger's voice trailed off as Elrond rose quickly and went for the house as fast as his feet would carry him.

When he reached the house everything was out of order, elves were running along the corridors without any real purpose, desperate to do _something_.

The servant who had informed Elrond of his sons return had followed his liege as he ran to the house and now showed him into the room, in which Elrohir had been laid on a bed.

As Elrond entered he heard the soft, anguished voice of his eldest talking to the person on the bed. "Elrohir... Elrohir listen to me." The voice said "Elrohir you've got to stay awake... just concentrate on my voice, just keep focusing on what I tell you, okay?"

Elrond rushed to the bed and looked down at his youngest. Elrohir's eyes were glanced and his breath was ragged. And he was quickly slipping into unconsciousness.

At first all Elrond could do was stare at his son, paralyzed by the thought of loosing another one and this one would be forever. Oh his life was leaving him so fast, was leaving with each rapid heartbeat.

It didn't take long though before the healer in Elrond kicked in, inside he was still crying, but on the outside he was calm and in control.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nendil, an elf who had been in the same hunting party as Elrohir and Elladan that morning hurried down the corridor, he was one of the many elves who were there, who actually had a purpose for hurrying. In his arms he cradled a small human child. The child looked so fragile, so easy to hurt. This child should never have had to experience a day such as this.

_Flashback_

The hunt had started out very quietly that morning, there was no game to see anywhere and the forest which was usually alive with birds chirping and courting each other and rays of sun beaming down between the rustling foliage of the trees. But it was not so today. Today everything seemed to have quieted down, as if anticipating something, something terrible. The elves had of course felt it, but had continued on.

Suddenly they had all heard a high-pitched scream in the distance, shattering the silence of the morning in a thousand pieces. Following the sound they had sped off in the direction of the sound. The sight which greeted them there was terrible. A camp full of humans; men, women and children, and it was looking like it was trying to tear itself apart as fast and effectively as possible. It was not the camps inhabitants who did the tearing apart though; the orcs did that fine by themselves. Rather the men of the camp tried to chase the orcs away, while the women tried desperately to escape with their children. The many corpses on the ground told the sad story of many who had not made it, far too many lay there, and more were coming every second.

The slaughter had made him feel sick, but there had been no time for that, for as soon as they arrived and saw the extent of the destruction, they joined the battle.

Immortal blood was spilt that day, some who were not born to die, whom age and disease could not touch were slain. But even more humans were between the casualties. Their spirits fled the confines of their broken bodies. After the orcs had fled, not able to withstand the joined forces of the humans and the elves, the forest grew quiet once again, only this time it was not in nervous anticipation, this time the forest were mourning for her fallen sons, and the gentle Dúnedain who had often passed beneath her trees, she mourned for the loss of life that had occurred this morning.

The few survivors set about the appalling task of going through all the bodies on the ground, looking for survivors and identify the fallen. Among the fallen they found one of the twins of Imladris, he lay on the ground, his heart beating rapidly and his breath coming in short gasps, on his tunic a crimson stain was quickly spreading.

Elladan was by his brother in an instant, scooping him up in his arms cradling him like a small child. He hurried towards his own horse, all the while talking to his brother so that he would not loose his grip on the conscious world. Elladan mounted his horse with the help of one of the other elves in the company, and hurried home to Imladris, He knew Elrohir wouldn't last long without treatment, not when he was so bad already. Perhaps he wouldn't survive long even with the treatment, but Elladan would never forgive himself if he tarried and Elrohir died, even if he could not have been saved no matter ho swift he was, the doubt would always be there.

The rest of the elven company, six elves in all now that Elladan and Elrohir had left, searched the rest of the camp for survivors along with the few Dúnedain who had survived.

Nendil had been the one to find the human child, he was cradled protectively in his dead mother's arms, he had been remarkable calm for one so young he had not cried during this entire ordeal, that had been what saved him. He had started to cry heartbrokenly though when they took him from the still warm arms of his mother. He was the only child to have survived the day, the only survivors of the Dúnedain were men, and there were only nine of them left now, also counting the child.

Nendil had called to the man nearest to him, wanting to identify the child.

"This is Aragorn, and the woman is his mother, Gilraen. His father has already been found... He's over there, dead" The man sounded like he was on the brink of tears, and who could blame him? Most of the surviving men had had wives, and some had even had children, now their lives were shattered, their future had been crushed, like glass breaking into a thousand pieces. The future was never so certain as you think, every moment representing the risk of dreams shattered as easily as a child's toy.

_End of flashback_

Nendil had carried the child since then, had carried him home and now he was making his way to his own rooms where he intended to care for the small being he had found earlier. He had tried to care for small beings before; he had often cared for his little sister. He didn't imagine it would be much different with this human boy.

As soon as they reached Nendil's rooms he called upon one of the house servants and asked for some hot water, clean rags and some fruit. The maiden complied and went, swiftly retrieving the things the other elf had asked for. When she returned she saw Nendil sitting on the floor, making funny faces to amuse the child in front of him. A small giggle escaped her, the sight of the dignified warrior acting out was simply too funny.

Nendil rose, quickly regaining his dignity, and with a curt nod of thanks, accepted the requested items. The maiden quietly disappeared from the door where she had been standing and turned back towards the main house.

When he was sure she had left Nendil went to the bathroom adjacent to his own room and put down the tray the maiden had brought him, then went back to the bedchamber where the boy was still sitting on the floor where he had left him.

"Now, first we will give you a hot bath _Pen Eglan _Forsaken One_ and then I will make you some food. How is that?"_

_The child just looked up at him with big blue eyes, but said nothing, probably too frightened by this entire situation that he did not understand. Nendil just smiled kindly down at the small child in his arms, and carried him out into the bathroom and started changing the dirtied diaper. Then proceeded to bathe him and finishing off by making the small child eat some of the food that had been brought. By that time the child had forgotten that anything was out of the ordinary and was prattling happily, but tiredly, all the time. _

_When the child had finished eating he yawned and looked at Nendil with dim eyes. Nendil chuckled to himself "and now you would probably like me to tuck you in and sing to you until you fall asleep" At the mention of this Aragorn reached up with his arms, imploring the elf to lift him off of the chair he was sitting on and do as he had said._

"_Well, I guess that's settled then" Nendil said, not able to contain his mirth at the child's display, he missed being around children. Perhaps it was time he gathered his courage and asked _Amruniel to marry him, they had after all been courting for quite a while, and with these thoughts he began to tuck in the child.

Soon after Aragon was sleeping soundly and Nendil was left to ponder about how to ask that special one.

Both Elrond and Elladan were totally drained as they finally allowed themselves to relax, but it did not mean a thing, because they had done it, they had saved him. Elrohir was no longer roaming the borders of death. He no longer sat on the threshold of Mandos great Halls of Waiting, he was safe and that was all that mattered.

After a while of sitting thus, just delighting in their success, the door suddenly creaked open. "My Lords" the elf maiden who had entered said, "Do you want something to eat?"

They both smiled and gladly accepted...

The next day Elrond had called all the elves from the hunting party yesterday and the surviving Dúnedain to meet him in the great hall. Nendil had kept the small forgotten child in his rooms for the night, since no one seemed to miss the boy, and he did not know where he should take the child.

Elrond heard each of them tell what he had seen and what had happened; the tale was not a happy one.

In the end the second in command, after Arathorn who had died in the battle, bowed to Elrond, requesting permission to speak, which was immediately granted.

"The child who was saved yesterday is the son of Arathorn and Gilraen; he is of direct descend of the kings of old. But none of us have a proper home to offer him, and furthermore we do not think he would be safe with us." The man breathed in deeply to calm himself "We know it is much to ask, but we feel it would be best this way, we feel it would be best if he was raised here in Imladris, not knowing about his heritage. If every one believes him dead he will not be in danger, for the forces of evil will try to eliminate the lines of kings, as they almost succeeded in yesterday. We beg you, My Lord; keep him here in your fair land, let some elven family raise him as simply another human child, he will be safe that way."

Elrond looked at the nervous man, then at the child standing next to Nendil, one of his most trusted guards. The child looked so scared, so fragile, so easy to harm. Elrond suddenly felt an urge to protect this child to keep harm from coming to him. He had not felt so alive since Celebrían had left.

"I think not" Elrond said only to be interrupted by the Dúnedain who had spoken before, "But, My Lord..." But when Elrond raised his hand the man went silent and fixed his eyes to the floor at his feet.

"I think not" Elrond repeated "I think it would be wiser to raise him in my own house." At that the Dunèdain captain looked up again, then he bowed low to the elven lord.

"Thank you, My Lord. He could ask for no better home"

_Flashback_

Lasneth had been sleeping when her loved one, Nathrond had left to go with the twins on a hunting trip, but not soon after she had risen and went to a small lake close to the borders of Imladris enjoying a day with her friends, swimming in the water and watching the swans glide gracefully past them.

They had been singing and telling tales of old, sad and happy alike. The sun had been glinting in the surface of the water and the flowers had scented sweetly in the warm air. Everything had been so quiet; the only thing that disturbed it was a slight cooling breeze. It had truly been a wonderful day.

The maidens had not returned before late in the evening when the stars were out, having allowed the sun to rest, promising to shine and keep the world from sinking into complete darkness, as they did every night. The stars were bright and shining like small silver drops in the sky. The stars never changed.

Lasneth had longed so much to see her beloved, he had left while she was still sleeping, and she longed to see his face once again, to let him know of her undying love, and hear him utter the same words to her. They were so happy together, and at midsummer they would make their final vows to each other.

But when they had reached Imladris everything seemed so unnaturally quiet, as the deep breathe before the plunge. The girls had split up and walked to their respective homes, but when she arrived home she found a small envelope just inside her door, otherwise no one was there, even though the hunt should have been over hours ago.

She turned on the light and opened the envelope. Inside was a short note explaining the sad outcome of the hunt, and that Nathrond had been one of the elves who had not made it through.

She read it again, not quite able to accept that which was said in the letter, after all the concept of death was new to her, something that she had never experienced before. When she finally came to terms with reality the light in the room seemed to dim and her world turned dark. She fell sideways off of the chair she had been sitting on, squeezing the letter tightly. Her heart had been crushed; she had lost the only family she had left in Middle Earth, how would she be able to keep going now?

Tears streamed down her face as she just lay there amid the scattered pieces of her broken life.

It was that way her friend found her later in the night, her brother had returned to them unharmed and told the sad tale.

_End of Flashback_

The fallen elves were buried in a small glade just outside the gates of Imladris. It was a beautiful and peaceful place. The dead would rest soundly here. They were the first elves to ever die in Imladris, so no customs were there for this kind of moment, so most of it was carried out in saddened silence.

Lasneth stood between her friend and her brother her face stoical and emotionless. She was as cold as stone, she couldn't afford to feel or she would surely shatter into a thousand pieces.

The elves were given back to earth one at a time, and the mourning followed Elrond slowly to each new grave. When they came to the bier that held Nathrond Lasneth went to his still body, cleaned of all marks of battle. His hair shone in the sun, even if it did not have the shimmer of life. And his features were as beautiful as ever, perfect even in death. She leaned down to kiss his cold lips one last time before he was forever lost to her. As their lips touched she felt as if a little warmth returned to him, and a desperate hope rose in her, only to be crushed when the sensation of warmth disappeared as quickly as it had come.

She rose a little shakily, tears glistening in her eyes and on her pale cheeks, and Nathrond's friends took up the bier reverently and slowly lowered it into the hole in the ground. Then flowers were dropped on top of him, and then earth to conceal his body.

Nathrond was the last of the elves to be buried. The dead Dúnedain had also been buried, and now Elrond's raised his voice for the first time since this sad duty had begun. "It is sad to see so many brave and merry souls leave us so unnecessary. But those we have buried today did not die unnecessary. They died protecting the innocent, they died so that others may live, and even though this does not make the pain of their loss easier to bear it is good to know that theses warriors did not give their lives for nothing, that their deaths bring with them something good, something worth fighting and dying for"

The remaining Dúnedain left shortly after the burial, seeking out the others of their kin. Leaving Aragorn in the keeping of Elrond. And the child grew, and became a man. And every day he brought new life into the life of those whose heart had been heavy.

Elrond never forgot all the losses he had had in life, but with Estel new purpose had been brought into his life. For with this small child hope came, both for men and elves. This child truly was a blessing from Ilúvatar.

The hope of all.

The End


End file.
